Proud of our girls

To the Chief Minister

BETI ZINDABAD!

This cry in support of India’s daughters is the title of a nationwide campaign on gender- based equality launched by ActionAid India. Since October 11, 2013, the International Day of the Girl Child, the organization has held seminars, workshops and events across 16 states of India. The aim is to assert women’s rights as universal human rights.

A law with more teeth

In 1994, the Parliament enacted the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act to stop female foeticide. To demand effective implementation of this Act, Voluntary Health Association of Punjab filed a writ petition before the Union Government. In response, the Supreme Court in 2013 passed an order giving it more teeth.

NGO YOU SUPPORTED: SNEHALAYA

Towards gender equality

Over three crore unborn girls have been killed in India since independence. NGOs like Snehalaya are trying to put an end to this violence. The organization recently acquired a state-of-the-art ambulance to save the lives of abandoned baby girls, and built a shelter for women and children in distress.

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Your Story

After your episode I now feel my father has been right all through. Literates cannot be confused as educated. I salute you Dad for holding up your ethics so strongly and also advocating them actively.

The episode has touched me very deeply. My father is a very senior radiologist-sonologist and a proud father of three daughters. In my college days I used to assist him during vacations and I have seen so many patients coming for sex determination. When my father would try to counsel them, some would reprimand him saying bhashan nahi chahiye, information de sakte ho to do!! Others would turn a deaf ear and go to some other doctor who they were sure would give them the desired information. When we grew up, got married and eventually got pregnant, I remember getting very irritated when my father did not disclose the sex of my child even to me. I only wanted to know so that I could shop accordingly... but no!! I used to debate with him that when you come across learned/educated people, why hide this information. I always thought educated people would never get into anything like female foeticide. But, after your episode I now feel my father has been right all through. Literates cannot be confused as educated. I salute you Dad for holding up your ethics so strongly and also advocating them actively. I really wish there are more and more doctors like you.

That Saas asked my mother is that a baby boy so that we are celebrating, my mother told her that no she is a baby girl so that we are celebrating. She was shocked and ask does a girl child give such kind of happiness. this incidence changed her mind & she refused to abort her grand daughter.

Hello, I am Sandeep Raman, from varanasi, working as a account manager. me and my whole family want a baby child. so when my wife given birth to a beautiful daughter. me, my mother & sisters were very excited in the labor room, when we saw the baby child. In the same labor room on the next bed a pregnant lady was crying because her Saas has took her to the hospital for abortion as she has a baby girl. That Saas asked my mother is that a baby boy so that we are celebrating, my mother told her that no she is a baby girl so that we are celebrating. She was shocked and ask does a girl child give such kind of happiness. this incidence changed her mind & she refused to abort her grand daughter. hearing this her bahu was very happy & thanks us a lot.

Whenever I speak with my mother, she wishes me that sooner I ll have son as well. Before watching your episode, whenever my mother would say I took it nonchalantly but now I realise how it is important to make our elder generation realize that they are wrong when they say this.

Dear Amir Khan,

I am in Netherlands, just watched the first episode of Satymevjayate. Like you and like many in the audience I could not stop myself crying. I am a proud father of a 16 month old girl child and I cannot imagine my life without her now. She is just everything to me. Her name is Swasti Jha. Everyone is happy in my family with my daughter but I know my parents wish for a boy. Whenever I speak with my mother, she wishes me that sooner I ll have son as well. Before watching your episode, whenever my mother would say I took it nonchalantly but now I realise how it is important to make our elder generation realize that they are wrong when they say this. My parents are looked upon by many in the village and if they dont change their view, they will impart this feeling to many others in the village. I love my parents a lot and it is because of their upbringing and education that i can judge how society is cruel to Girl Child. I vow to completely stand against any such thought and never keep mum whenever i hear any dicrimination between girl and boy.

I am part of the problem everytime I say "she is only a girl" I change me- I change the world.

I am part of this problem everytime I ask a daughter to do house work while her brother plays or watches tv; I am part of the problem everytime I say "she is only a girl"; I am part of the problem everytime I enjoy watching a woman wearing revealing clothes in movie songs; By each one of these actions I am telling my daughter "you are not as worthy as a son" or "you are only an object created for men to enjoy". I change me- I change the world.

When I was not ready for abortion, 3 of them kicked me as I am a football and my husband stood on my abdomen and started jumping, so that it got miss-courage. when I started bleeding they kept me in a locked room, tied hand, legs, put tape on my mouth, without food and water for 5 days in dark room.

Aamir sir, I got married in 30.Jan.2009.after my marriage i went through Domestic violence and dowry harassment by Husband and in-laws. with in May 2009 I was pregnant, when I informed my husband and in-laws about my pregnancy, without medical check up my mother in law told my husband that the unborn child was a Girl, when I questioned how mother in-law is that much sure about that, they answered me in their family whenever she told a pregnant lady by counting the months its became true and she was working in Hospital as administrator, so she was so sure about my pregnancy. Then when I was not ready for abortion, 3 of them kicked me as I am a football and my husband stood on my abdomen and started jumping, so that it got miss-courage. when I started bleeding they kept me in a locked room , tied hand, legs, put tape on my mouth,without food and water for 5 days in dark room. after 5 days when my in-laws brought me out as my parents were asking about me and wanted to talk to me over phone, I could not even told my parents what kind of harassment I have gone through as my husband kept a knife on my throat and threatened me that if I utter a single words about the incident my husband will kill me then and there. As my parents were in different state and my matrimonial house in Bangalore, Karnataka. Later on after one month My husbands wanted me to sign the divorce paper, as per his mom I was pregnant with unborn girl child now in coming future all the babies will be girls. when I denied to sign the divorce paper for this silly reason they beat me up and through me from the house in mid night. Now the Domestic Violence case is pending before the honourable court of Karnataka.

With a big smile on my face i turned to my friends and relatives but was shocked to see the expression on their faces. I told them that having two girls is a bigger cause of celebration for me. That was the day when I realized how big a social taboo the girl child is.

I am a proud Dad of 2 daughters. They now are beautiful girls ages 13 and 15. I was fortunate to be born in a family where the girl child was and will always be a cause of celebration. I distinctly remember the day when my younger daughter was born. I was sitting in the Hospital hallway with a bunch of friends and relatives when the nurse came out and sceptically game me the news of the child being a daughter. I was ecstatic, elated and full of joy. With a big smile on my face i turned to my friends and relatives expecting a shower of good wishes but was shocked to see the expression on their faces. They looked as if they were sympathizing and in a mute way offering their condolences. My joy turned into despair and slowly into anger. I approached the group and told them that having two girls is a bigger cause of celebration for me to they can let go their hangups and feel happy for me and my family. That was the day when I realized how big a social taboo the girl child is. Aamir, yours is an excellent initiative. The song from Swanand (I know him from Indore) pierced my heart. I am living in Toronto for the last 10 years but am moving back this year. I would love to be a part of and help you spread the message.
Vinay

After the check up doctor advised us to check the sex of the child and mentioned that if the second child is a girl than you can go for abortion and go for a boy. In reply I told the doctor to never advise us for committing such sin.

Amir Khan you have once more proved that your productions are beyond the reach of any other individual in the film industry. The first episode brought tears in the eyes of my family who were watching Satyamev Jayate. My daughter had to leave half way as she could no more listen to the stories of those females who have faced torture from the hands of their in-laws for not giving birth to a baby boy. What a shame. We had a similar experience in Vadodara when my wife was pregnant with our second daughter. It happened so that when we visited the female doctor for her check-up my first daughter was with us. After the check up she advised us for sono graphy to check the sex of the child and mentioned that if the second child is a girl than you can go for abortion as you both are young and go for a boy. In reply I told the doctor that even if the second child is a girl wil now be my boy and never advise us for committing such sin.
I am now going to see the doctor with my second daughter when I visit India next year. I would like to tell her how beautiful, loving and caring my daughter is and what she has achieved in her life. Greedy doctors.
Harishkumar Shah, London, UK

When I ask that what is the guarantee that the second baby will be a boy most of them answers that it is quite easy now a days you can go for a sex determination test. It means the test and killing will go on till i get a baby boy.

I am a Chartered Accountant and proud father of "Pyaari si Chiraiya". She is 7 years old. From last 2-3 years I have been receiving advice from my friends/relatives to try for another baby. The logic is that a Boy is necessary. And when I ask that what is the guarantee that the second baby will be a boy most of them answers that it is quite easy now a days you can go for a sex determination test. It means the test and killing will go on till i get a baby boy.
I think that people must understand that there is no difference between boy and girl. Infact I have been seeing many old aged peoples whose sons have left them but their daughters are taking care of them. So feel yourself Lucky if you get a Girl.... Believe me "She is Precious"!

When my first daughter was born everybody instead of congratulation, consoled me...koi baat nahin, laxmi aayi hai....and all that.....some how she was our first daughter so every one in my family and in my in-laws consoled my wife ki abhi second chance hai....

Sir, I live in Hari Nagar, New Delhi, When my first daughter was born everybody instead of congratulation, consoled me...koi baat nahin, laxmi aayi hai....and all that.....some how she was our first daughter so every one in my family and in my in-laws consoled my wife ki abhi second chance hai....but i was adamant ki I will not go for the second child...somehow my wife convinced me to go for the second one...but I made it very clear that I will go for the second child irrespective of gender...and if you are ready then its ok...she said yes to me...but during the first trimester of pregnancy, she got to know the gender of the child through someone in the clinic as I was outside the clinic....she immediately decided to abort the child but i firmly told her that you can, but after that I will divorce you and elder daughter will be with me and you go to your parents...my stern face works and she decided to go on with the pregnancy....child was born...no one congratulated me...my wife, her parents and her sister all crying ki yeh kya ho gaya.....as if some one has died...but I was very happy then when I saw the face ....i faced the harsh reality with in my family....here culprits were not my parents or others but my wife , a girl, a lady...coz later on she told me angrily that "yeh tumharey pichhley janam ka paap hain"....but i am happy with my daughters.....

I raised these issues in the hospital i worked for but due to internal politics and what happens behind scenes i was not allowed to express myself. being a new graduate and a junior i was undermined .

Hello, I am Dr Abhishek Goli. I am Psychiatrist working in UK. I was very moved with your 1st episode. I am glad that you are brave enough to bring up such a sensitive topic on the forefront. I have witnessed a lot of this whilst working in India. I raised these issues in the hospital i worked for but due to internal politics and what happens behind scenes i was not allowed to express myself. being a new graduate and a junior i was undermined . I hate to say this but bringing change is very difficult and this was one of the reasons why i had to leave the country . being in Uk i have a better freedom of expression. In my own family we have been struggling to have a girl child for 3 generations.I am very pleased to have a daughter just 3 months ago. From the psychiatrist point of view the mental stress a mother goes through pregnancy let alone an abortion(which she was against it). Awareness is biggest step towards change.

Brilliant start to a fantastic program. It is absolutely appalling that humans can do this while there are couples like us who are trying desperately to get pregnant.

Brilliant start to a fantastic program. Very shocking episode and specially very close to my wife, Glynis and I, Nitin. We live in the US and have lived outside of India for over 13 years now. We have a son (yash jain 6 yr old) and fortunate enough to have absolutely NO pressures around about sex of the baby. However this episode was very shocking and tears kept rolling down our cheeks. After a very long time we were finally blessed with our 2nd pregnancy that started about 5 months ago. However only 2 weeks ago we unfortunately and completely unexpectedly we lost our unborn baby. Both Glynis and I, Nitin, we still think about the heart beats we saw, the kicks, the hands, the flips we saw of the baby before glynis had to be operated to get the baby out due to unavoidable circumstanced. We still do not know if it was a girl/boy but we still cry for our baby. With this recent memory and the timing of this episode just makes it very special for us. it is absolutely appalling that humans can do this while there are couples like us who are trying desperately to get pregnant. For us we consider this a pure selfish need.. a need to be able to share our love/care with our child. Its just a special feeling when the child responds to small things you do for them. After the episode I am not sure that we truly give the same respect to our mothers as we pretend to. How can we say that we respect them while we kill a potential mother to be even before they are born. It was an eye opener to see how widespread the problem is in India. Glynis and I were thinking of uploading a video msg but it was very emotional for both of us to be able to talk about it while recording. All the best and our sincere best wishes for its success not only in terms of rating but also in terms of generating actions on the ground level. I recommend every story to have a project timeline from time of airing to letter sent by AK to any followups post that day. Maybe compile another mega event where every story follow up is shown and explained where they have hit roadblocks. Persistent followup is so essential to generate a true change.

When I saw the episode it got me thinking that how fortunate were those people whom god gave an opportunity to bring a girl child in this world and they denied her while how unfortunate are me and Kayla to have no child in our lives.

Hello Team Satyamev Jayate, My name is Jayesh Parmar; Assistant Professor; University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, USA. I watched your show today. It touched my heart. There were several occasions that I literally broke down during the show. The song O Ri Chiraiya took my emotions to another level. My prayers are with the women and families that have suffered through female foeticide. I and my wife (Kayla Jayesh Parmar) underwent some hardships few months ago; Kayla got pregnant and we were very excited to have a baby in our lives. She was couple of weeks pregnant hence; to determine the gender of the baby we had to wait. You cannot imagine the excitement and happiness in both of our hearts. In our hearts we knew it was going to be a baby-girl. The color pink was already been decided for our baby-girl’s room. Unfortunately, Kayla miscarried after two weeks of pregnancy. Things have been difficult with Kayla and me since the miscarriage. She stayed a lot depressed blaming herself. So, when I saw the episode it got me thinking that how fortunate were those people whom god gave an opportunity to bring a girl child in this world and they denied her while how unfortunate are me and Kayla to have no child in our lives. What right do these fortunate ones have to abort a girl while the womb. We want a child but we can’t have one, they had her in plenty but they denied each one of her. As of right now, things are much better, since my younger brother and his wife living in Mumbai gave birth to a baby girl- Aaniya. She is so beautiful and I am her Bade Pappa while my wife, Kayla, is her Badi Mommy.